Rotary engine

ABSTRACT

A rotary internal combustion engine of the type having a central combustion rotor containing peripheral combustion chambers, a planetary piston means having at least one piston revolvable around the combustion rotor in an annular piston chamber, and at least one cutoff rotor cooperable with the piston and combustion rotor to provide compression and expansion zones in the annular piston chamber is provided with a through power output shaft, internal liquid cooling and a pressurized air accumulation chamber, and additional combustion chambers designed to enhance engine stability, fuel injection and efficiency.

United States Patent Inventor John Wiley Seattle, Wash. Appl. No. 30,286Filed Apr. 20, 1970 Patented May 11,1971 Assignee Skrob, Inc.

Seattle, Wash. Continuation of application Ser. No. 773,562, Nov. 5,1968, now abandoned.

ROTARY ENGINE 7 Claims, 11 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 123/8.09, 418/94, 418/101, 418/196 Int. Cl F02b 55/00 FieldotSearch 123/13 (B),

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,354,871 11/1967 Skrobl23/13(B) Primary Examiner-Allan D. Herrmann Att0meySeed, Berry & DowreyABSTRACT: A rotary internal combustion engine of the type having acentral combustion rotor containing peripheral combustion chambers, aplanetary piston means having at least one piston revolvable around thecombustion rotor in an annular piston chamber, and at least one cutofirotor cooperable with the piston and combustion rotor to providecompression and expansion zones in the annular piston chamber isprovided with a through power output shaft, internal liquid cooling anda pressurized air accumulation chamber, and additional combustionchambers designed to enhance engine stability, fuel injection andefficiency.

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ATTORNEYS ROTARY ENGINE This application is a continuation of Ser. No.773,562, filed Nov. 5, l968,-and now abandoned.

This invention relates to rotary engines of the type described in U.S.Pat. No. 3,354,871 and constitutes an improvement thereon.

The invention will be described in detail in the preferred form as aninternal combustion engine; however, the principles and basic elementsof the invention are also applicable for use in other forms ofpropulsion devices, such as steam engines or the like.

As in the rotary engine described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,354,87], the engineof this invention comprises a housing having inlet and exhaust ports incommunication with an annular piston chamber, a central rotary means,planetary piston means with at least one piston revolvable around theperiphery of the central rotary means within .the annular pistonchamber, a rotary cutoff means adapted to cooperate with the piston andcentral rotary means to provide compression and expansion zones-in theannular piston chamber,

power output means rotated by revolution of the planetary piston means,and means for rotating'the central rotary means and the rotary cutoffmeans in response to revolution of the planetary piston means suchthatthe piston successively closes off combustion chambers fromthecompression and expansion zones. The central rotary means comprises arotatably mounted combustion rotor, which, together with the housing,defines the annular piston chamber immediately surrounding thecombustion rotor periphery. The plurality of combustion chambers arecontained in thecombustion rotor incommunication with the annular pistonchamber. The rotary cutoff means comprises a cutoff rotor rotatablymounted in the housing to intersect the annular .piston chamber andsweep, or

'wipe, the combustion rotor periphery such that'the annular pistonchamber is divided into compression and expansion zones. The cutoffrotor contains at least onepiston recess'for receiving therein a pistonof .the planetary piston means topermit passage of the piston asitrevolves around' the combustion rotor. The leading and trailing ends ofthe piston andpiston recess are contoured to be swept, or wiped, byleading and trailing edges of the other as the pistontravels into andoutof mesh with the piston recess so that the division of the annularpiston chamber into compression and expansion zones .is maintained asthe piston travels past the rotary cutoff means.

-Two rotary cutofi means are preferably provided at diametricallyopposite locations across the combustion rotor and at least two, andpreferably four, pistons are also provided .so

that balanced compressions, combustions, and expansions can occur.

The specific embodiment of the engine of U.S. Pat. No 3,354,871 isintended for air cooling, rotation 'of its central rotor is effectedthrough planetary gearing, and power output is effected through a strutinterconnecting two axially aligned shafts. The combination of thesefeaturesposes shaft bearings, sealing, cooling, center shaft stability,fuel injection and overall size problems.

It is accordingly an object of this invention'to provide a rotaryinternal combustion engine of the Skrob type incorporating internalcooling, a through power output shaft and improved shaft bearing rotaryseal characteristics, all to the point of providing an improved Skrobengine. Another object of this invention is to provide an improvedcombustion rotor and piston design and an improved cutofl' rotor designto further enhance the operating characteristics of such an engine.

These and other objects and advantages vwill become apparent from thefollowing description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, ofwhich:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional detail of an exemplary embodigment of thisinvention;

FIG. 2 is a cross section view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevational detail view illustrating a piston of the FIG. Iembodiment positioned in FIG. 2; and

FIGS. 4--II are schematic views sequentially illustrating therelationship of the major revolving components of the FIG. 1 embodiment.

As shown in the drawings, the depicted embodiment of this inventionincludes the major revolving elements necessary to the Skrob-type engineincorporated within a housing 10; namely, a central rotary means I2,planetary piston means 14, two rotary cutoff means I6 and 18, poweroutput means 20, and means 22 for rotating the central rotary means androtary cutoff means in response to revolution of the planetary pistonmeans. The housing 10 comprises four peripherally flanged members I, 2,3 and 4 that are bolted together about their peripheries to provide abearing and air reservoir section 10a, acombustion section 10b, a shaftsupport section locand a gear box section 10d. The combustion sectioncontains'an annular piston chamber 52 with two sets of inlet and outletports 51-53 provided at diametrically opposite locations atapproximately spacing'relative to the rotary cutoff means.

The central rotary means l2 comprises a combustion rotor 24 axiallysecured to a-hollow shaft 26. The combustion rotor comprises a circulardisc *having an enlarged peripheral annular section presenting a flatouter peripheral edge surface and parallel, flat side surfaces normal tothe-edge surface. A plurality (six) of relatively deepsecondarycombustion chambers 28 of generally cylindrical configuration. arecontained within the combustion rotor enlarged peripheral sectionandspaced uniformly therearound. The secondary combustion chambers openoutwardly through the combustion rotor outer peripheral edge-surface. Aplurality (six) of relatively shallow position to the secondarycombustion chambers. The primary combustion chambers open outwardlythrough the combustion rotor outer peripheral edge surface in staggeredrelation to the respective secondary combustion chamber such .that thetrailing edges of the primary combustion chamber openings lags -thetrailing edges of the respective secondary combustion chambers openings.

The housing '10 is'provided at diametrically opposite locations with twofuel-injecting means 30 and two'fuel-igniting spark plug means 32(unless the engine operates on the diesel cycle in which case acompressed mixture of fuel and air would be self-igniting) and with fuelinlet ports opening to the inner side surface of the combustion rotorenlarged peripheral section for communication with the primarycombustion chambers. The housing wall adjacent-to the combustion rotorinner side closely parallels the rotor inner side. and the two areprovided with a mated annular step and channel pressure seal 34 locatedradially inward of the rotor-enlarged peripheral section.

The planetary piston means 14 comprises four piston sections 36, 38, 40and 42 spaced 90 apart and interconnected to an integral flywheel discsection 44. The flywheel disc is axially secured to a through driveshaft 48 that. is concentrically enclosed by combustion'rotor shaft 26.The inner side of the flywheel disc and the outer side of the combustionrotor closely parallel one another and are provided with a mated annularstep and channel pressureseal 50 located at the outer side surface ofthe combustion rotor enlarged peripheral section. The housing walladjacent to the flywheel disc closely parallels the disc outer side andthe two are provided with a mated annular step and channel pressure seal55. The piston sections are provided with semicircular arcuate innerandouter side surfaces, the inner side being adapted to sweep the outerside edge of the combustion rotor to. alternately seal off and exposethe openings of the primary and secondary combustion chambers, and theouter side being adapted to sweep a semicircular wall of the housing 10,which housing wall together with the combustion rotorouter edge definesan annular piston chamber 52.

The piston means is positioned adjacent the combustion rotor sideopposite to the side facing the housing gearbox section. This enablesthe drive shaft 48 to be provided as a center through shaft. This alsoenables the location of the fuel combustion means in an easilyaccessible location without disrupting the continuity of the enginehousing.

The rotary cutoff means 16 and 118 each comprise a cutoff rotor 54axially secured to a shaft 56. The cutoff rotor peripheral edge isprovided with two diametrically opposed piston recess 5860 adapted tomesh with the piston sections. The leading and trailing end surfaces ofthe piston sections are concave such that the piston sections willcooperatively mesh with the piston recesses to maintain pressure sealsbetween the compression and expansion zones of the piston chamber duringpassage of the piston sections through the piston recesses. The cutoffrotor contains a toroidal accumulator chamber 62 communicating with eachpiston recess through normally closed pressure-opening relief valves64-66 which open to the trailing ends of the respective piston recesses.The housing sections encasing the cutoff rotors are each provided withan annular passage 68 open to the cutoff rotor-housing chamber andcommunicating with the toroidal accumulator through an open port 70extending through one sidewall of the cutoff rotor. Each passage 68 isbracketed by mated annular step and channel pressure seals 72-74provided in the adjacent surfaces of the housing and cutoff rotor side.The opposite adjacent surfaces of the housing and cutoff rotor side arealso provided with a mated annular step and channel pressure seal 76.

In the housing gearbox section, the output drive shaft is provided witha drive gear 80 meshed with a driven gear 82 which is secured to thecutoff rotor shaft, and the cutofi rotor shaft is provided with a drivegear 84 meshed with a driven gear 86 which is secured to the combustionrotor shaft. These gears are sized to provide a cutoff rotor angularspeed twice that of the piston means, and a combustion rotor angularspeed twothirds that of the piston means. Shafts 48 and 56 are mountedin the housing by suitable oil-lubricated bearings 90, 92, 94 and 96.Shaft 26 is stabilized by thrust bearings 98 and 100. The shafts areprovided with appropriate shaft seals 102, 103, 104,105, 106 and 108.

The housing combustion section is provided with a precombustion chamber110 associated with each fuel injection means 30 and spark plug means32. Each chamber 110 opens to the revolving primary combustion chambers29 through a port 112. Each fuel injection means 30 is provided with anair line 114 leading from a cutoff rotor accumulator air supply annulus68 to permit a mixture of fuel and air at a relatively low positivepressure to be injected into the respective precombustion chamber 110for ignition by spark plug means 32 in timed relation to the revolvingprimary combustion chambers 29. Time means 116 can be convenientlyassociated with cutoff rotor shaft 56 through bevel gearing tomechanically provide the essential ignition timing.

Blowers 130 may be driven by the cutoff rotor shafts to force air intothe housing air intake ports through ducts 132 and the housing airaccumulator section. Accumulation of intake air serves to equalizeintake air pressure continuously supplied by the blowers andintermittently withdrawn through the intake ports into the annularpiston chamber.

The housing central rotary means, planetary piston means and rotarycutoff means have each been provided with a network of water passagesdesigned to permit continuous cooling water or other liquid coolantcirculation under pressure. The water intake and outlet for the housingare not shown because they would be adjacent to the distributor manifoldfrom the radiator in the case of the intake and of the water pump, inthe case of the outlet, both of which are not shown. Rotary seal means140, 141 and 142 for supplying water to the rotating members throughtheir respective shafts and rotary seal means 144 and 146 forwithdrawing water from the respective shafts are provided. Waterpassages 148 within the combustion rotor 24 are supplied from means 141and discharge into the output shaft 48. Water passages 152 within thecutoff rotors 16 are supplied from means 142 and discharge into shaft56. The respective shafts are preferably bored radially to provide thewater inlet and outlet passages to the combustion and cutoff rotors andthe piston disc, and the respective rotors and disc are provided withannuli surrounding the ported shaft sections such that assembly to theshafts is not critically dependent upon water passage alignment.

The central rotary means, planetary piston means, rotary cutoff means,and the housing piston chambers are machined such that these componentsinterfit without contact. The interfit between adjacent surfaces issufficiently close the pressure seals exist as a result of boundaryturbulence. The interfitting annular steps and chambers between adjacentsurfaces enhances the boundary turbulence. The various shaft sealsinsure that pressure differentials will be negligible. During operationof the engine as sequentially depicted in FIGS. 4- ll, the pistonsections compress air, entrapped between the piston section leadingedges and the respective cutoff rotors as the piston sections advancepast the housing air intake port, into the primary and secondarycombustion chamber sets as each set revolves into adjacency with thecutoff rotor and is sealed therein as the pistons pass through thecutoff rotor piston recesses. During piston confinement by the cutoffrotors, air is entrapped and compressed within the trailing half of eachpiston recess until the cutoff rotor check valves open and the entrappedair is forced into the cutoff rotor accumulators as the piston recessspace is reduced to zero as shown in FIGS. 69. Also during pistonconfinement by the cutoff rotors, fuel injection and ignition commencesin the precombustion chambets and advances into the superimposed primarycombustion chambers. As the pistons clear the piston recesses, as inFIG. 11 for example, the trailing edges of the respective primarycombustion chambers are opened behind the pistons and burning fuelturbulently expands into the piston chamber. Momentarily thereafter thesecondary combustion chambers are opened behind the pistons for supplyof additional pressurized air for combustion. Early opening of theprimary combustion chambers promotes uniformity of compression increasedturbulence and a longer more uniform burning period thereby improvingengine efficiency. Furthermore, the provision of the larger, secondarycombustion chambers as a secondary source of compressed air alsopromotes more efficient fuel combustion and compression uniformity.

It is believed that the invention will have been clearly understood fromthe foregoing detailed description of my now preferred illustratedembodiment. Changes in the details of construction may be restored towithout departing from the spirit of the invention and it is accordinglymy intention that no limitations be implied and that the hereto annexedclaims be given the broadest interpretation to which the employedlanguage fairly admits.

lclaim:

l. A rotary internal combustion engine of the type comprising a housing;a central combustion rotor rotatably contained in the housing and havinga plurality of combustion chambers opening to an annular piston chamberenclosing the peripheral edge of the combustion rotor, and a hollowshaft contained within the housing and axially mounting the combustionrotor at one end; a planetary piston means rotatably contained withinthe housing and including a piston disc in face-to-face adjacency withone said of the combustion rotor and at least one piston integral withthe piston disc and extended parallel to the engine axis in face-to-faceadjacency with the peripheral edge of the combustion rotor, and a driveshaft axially extended through the combustion rotor shaft and through atleast one end of the housing as a power outlet and axially mounting thepiston disc", a cutoff rotor rotatably contained within the housing andpositioned to intersect the piston chamber and sweep the peripheral edgeof the combustion rotor such that the piston chamber is divided intocompression and expansion zones, the cutoff rotor having at least onepiston recess for receiving a piston therein to permit rotor shaft torotate the cutoff rotor and the combustion rotor in response torevolution of the piston means such that the piston successively closesoff the combustion chambers from the piston chamber as the piston passesthrough the cutoff rotor piston recess; and fuel injection means adaptedto supply the combustion chambers with ignited fuel in timed relation topassage of the piston across the combustion chamber openings.

2. the engine of claim 1 wherein the cutoff rotor is provided with aninternal toroidal accumulator chamber in communication with the trailingend portion of the piston recess therein such that air entrapped in suchportion during passage of the piston through the piston recess canescape to the accumulator chamber.

3. The engine of claim 1 wherein the combustion rotor is provided withtow sets of combustion chambers consisting of a set of primaryrelatively shallow combustion chambers provided in the combustion rotorside surface adjacent to the housing and opening to the piston chamber,and a set of secondary relatively deep combustion chambers superimposedwith the primary combustion chamber and contained within the combustionrotor and opening to the piston chamber, the trailing edge of eachsecondary combustion chamber being arranged to lead the trailing edge ofthe respective superimposed primary combustion chamber such that theprimary combustion will be first exposed to he trailing edge of thepiston as the piston revolves around the cornbustion rotor; and whereinthe fuel injection means is provided to communicate with the primarycombustion chambers.

4. the engine of claim 2 wherein the cutoff rotor accumulator chamber isported to the hosing and wherein fuel injection means is adapted toreceive air from the accumulator chamber through the housing port toprepressurize fuel prior to injectron.

S. The engine of claim 1 including rotary-sealed liquid coolant supplymeans provided on the engine shafts to supply liquid coolant to theshaft interiors; and wherein the engine shafts, combustion rotor, pistonmeans and cutofi' rotor are ported to permit liquid coolant tocontinuouslycirculate therethrough.

6. The engine of claim 5 wherein liquid coolant supply means for thecombustion rotor and piston means are provided to introduce liquidcoolant into the combustion rotor shaft and piston means shaftindependently, and to withdraw liquid coolant from both the combustionrotor and piston means through the piston means shaft.

7. A rotary engine of the type comprising a housing having an inlet andan exhaust; a central rotor rotatably contained in the housing andhaving a plurality of outwardly opening peripheral chambers; an annularpiston chamber enclosing the peripheral edge of the central rotor andcommunicating with said peripheral chambers; and a hollow central rotorshaft contained within the housing and axially mounting the centralrotor at one end; a planetary piston means rotatably contained withinthe housing and including a piston disc in face-to-face adjacency withone side of the central rotor and at least one piston integral with thepiston disc and extended parallel to the engine axis in face-to-faceadjacency with the peripheral edge of the central rotor, and a driveshaft axially extended through the central rotor shaft and through atleast one end of the housing as a power outlet and axially mounting thepiston disc; a cutoff rotor rotatably contained within the housing andpositioned to intersect the piston chamber and sweep the peripheral edgeof the central rotor such that the piston chamber is divided into zones,the cutofi rotor having at least one piston recess for receiving apiston therein to permit passage of the piston as the piston revolvesaround the central rotor, a cutoff rotor shaft contained within thehousing and axrally mounting the cutoff rotor; gear train meansinterconnecting said central rotor shaft, drive shaft, and cutofi' rotorshaft to rotate the cutoff rotor and the central rotor in response torevolution of the piston means; and means adapted to supply the chamberswith propulsion fluid in timed relation to movement of the piston acrossthe peripheral chamber openings.

1. A rotary internal combustion engine of the type comprising a housing;a central combustion rotor rotatably contained in the housing and havinga plurality of combustion chambers opening to an annular piston chamberenclosing the peripheral edge of the combustion rotor, and a hollowshaft contained within the housing and axially mounting the combustionrotor at one end; a planetary piston means rotatably contained withinthe housing and including a piston disc in face-to-face adjacency withone said of the combustion rotor and at least one piston integral withthe piston disc and extended parallel to the engine axis in face-to-faceadjacency with the peripheral edge of the combustion rotor, and a driveshaft axially extended through the combustion rotor shaft and through atleast one end of the housing as a power outlet and axially mounting thepiston disc; a cutoff rotor rotatably contained within the housing andpositioned to intersect the piston chamber and sweep the peripheral edgeof the combustion rotor such that the piston chamber is divided intocompression and expansion zones, the cutoff rotor having at least onepiston recess for receiving a piston therein to permit passage of thepiston as the piston revolves around the combustion rotor, a cutoffrotor shaft contained within the housing and axially mounting the cutoffrotor; gear train means interconnecting said combustion rotor shaft,drive shaft, and cutoff rotor shaft to rotate the cutoff rotor and thecombustion rotor in response to revolution of the piston means such thatthe piston successively closes off the combustion chambers from thepiston chamber as the piston passes through the cutoff rotor pistonrecess; and fuel injection means adapted to supply the combustionchambers with ignited fuel in timed relation to passage of the pistonacross the combustion chamber openings.
 2. the engine of claim 1 whereinthe cutoff rotor is provided with an internal toroidal accumulatorchamber in communication with the trailing end portion of the pistonrecess therein such that air entrapped in such portion during passage ofthe piston through the piston recess can escape to the accumulatorchamber.
 3. The engine of claim 1 wherein the combustion rotor isprovided with tow sets of combustion chambers consisting of a set ofprimary relatively shallow combustion chambers provided in thecombustion rotor side surface adjacent to the housing and opening to thepiston chamber, and a set of secondary relatively deep combustionchambers superimposed with the primary combustion chamber and containedwithin the combustion rotor and opening to the piston chamber, thetrailing edge of each secondary combustion chamber being arranged tolead the trailing edge of the respective superimposed primary combustionchamber such that the primary combustion will be first exposed to hetrailing edge of the piston as the piston revolves around the combustionrotor; and wherein the fuel injection means is provided to communicatewith the primary combustion chambers.
 4. the engine of claim 2 whereinthe cutoff rotor accumulator chamber is ported to the hosing and whereinfuel injection means is adapted to receive air from the accumulatorchamber through the housing port to prepressurize fuel prior toinjection.
 5. The engine of claim 1 including rotary-sealed liquidcoolant supply means provided on the engine shafts to supply liquidcoolant to the shaft interiors; and wherein the engine shafts,combustion rotor, piston means and cutoff rotor are ported to permitliquid coolant to continuously circulate therethrough.
 6. The engine ofclaim 5 wherein liquid coolant supply means for the combustion rotor andpiston means are provided to introduce liquid coolant into thecombustion rotor shaft and piston means shaft independently, and towithdraw liquid coolant from both the combustion rotor and piston meansthrough the piston means shaft.
 7. A rotary engine of the typecomprising a housing having an inlet and an exhaust; a central rotorrotatably contained in the housing and having a plurality of outwardlyopening peripheral chambers; an annular piston chamber enclosing theperipheral edge of the central rotor and communicating with saidperipheral chambers; and a hollow central rotor shaft contained withinthe housing and axially mounting the central rotor at one end; aplanetary piston means rotatably contained within the housing andincluding a piston disc in face-to-face adjacency with one side of thecentral rotor and at least one piston integral with the piston disc andextended parallel to the engine axis in face-to-face adjacency with theperipheral edge of the central rotor, and a drive shaft axially extendedthrough the central rotor shaft and through at least one end of thehousing as a power outlet and axially mounting the piston disc; a cutoffrotor rotatably contained within the housing and positioned to intersectthe piston chamber and sweep the peripheral edge of the central rotorsuch that the piston chamber is divided into zones, the cutoff rotorhaving at least one piston recess for receiving a piston therein topermit passage of the piston as the piston revolves around the centralrotor, a cutoff rotor shaft contained within the housing and axiallymounting the cutoff rotor; gear train means interconnecting said centralrotor shaft, drive shaft, and cutoff rotor shaft to rotate the cutoffrotor and the central rotor in response to revolution of the pistonmeans; and means adapted to supply the chambers with propulsion fluid intimed relation to movement of the piston across the peripheral chamberopenings.